Panic As COVID-19 Patients In Gombe Refuse Treatment

The Gombe state government on Monday disclosed that 18 COVID-19 patients at its isolation centres have refused to be treated for the infection

Chairman of the state’s task force on COVID-19, Idris Mohammed, made this known while addressing journalists on Monday.

Mohammed said the state could account for only 12 people out of the 30 patients, while 18 people have chosen to undergo treatment outside the isolation centres.

It would be recalled that some COVID-19 patients had  protested at the Federal Teaching Hospital in the state, destroying equipment in their ward. The patients, who were under quarantine, were said to have complained of poor treatment.

Almost at the same time, while the protest at the hospital was taking place, some COVID-19 patients at Kwadon isolation centre in Yamaltu Deba local government area of Gombe, also took to the streets to lament below par treatment at the centre.

He disclosed the 18 patients are undergoing self-isolation as traditional rulers and political leaders in their area are ensuring they are well treated and lawfully discharged.

He added that COVID-19 patients who were not from the state have been evacuated to their state of residence.

“We have a total of 30 people yet to be evacuated in the state, out of the 30, five are Adamawa indigenes; we collected their samples and we gave them our epid numbers and they have since gone back to Adamawa State. But because of the epid numbers, they remain our cases on paper but in reality they are in Adamawa State,” he said.

“Two others were traced to Kano State and we notified the state epidemiologist and they have been placed in isolation; one other to Ogun, the state epidemiologist was called and another one was traced to Nasarawa State, we called the state epidemiologist and the last one to Borno state and he has been evacuated by the state.

“Out of 20 people remaining, they are the ones we are having some challenges evacuating but we are making efforts. As of Sunday, we evacuated two. The good thing is that as most of them are trying not to come, so they are in self isolation, they don’t come out in the open but the traditional rulers and political leaders where they reside are working with the task force to ensure they are evacuated, treated and discharged lawfully.”